Collapsible hair curler

ABSTRACT

A collapsible hair curler comprising a pair of spaced and parallel circular end members, and a plurality of longitudinally extending stringer elements arranged in substantially parallel relation with each other between the end members, each stringer element having one end pivotally connected to one end member and an opposite end pivotally connected to the other end member, whereby the end members can be pivoted with respect to the stringer elements so that the hair curler will lie substantially flat.

United States Patent [191 Lee [451 Apr. 23, 1974 COLLAPSIBLE HAIR CURLER [76] Inventor: Connie M. Lee, Rt. No. 1 Box 145A,

Subiaco, Ark. 72865 [22] Filed: July 19, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 380,862

[52} US. Cl. 132/39 [51] Int. Cl A45d 2/12 [58] Field of Search 132/40, 42, 39

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,097,657 7/1963 Solomon 132/39 2,173,872 9/1939 Barnes 3,276,456 10/1966 Thatcher 132/40 Prirr zary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-Gregory E. McNeil] Attorney, Agent, or Firm-William S. Dorman [57] ABSTRACT 6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures III' TIIIIIIII lllllllljllill illlllllttllrlt BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to hair curlers and more particularly to a hair curler which can be collapsed from a normally cylindrical condition to a relatively flat condition.

2. The Prior Art There are many hair curlers on the market today and many patents relating to hair curlers. However, there is no hair curler which is collapsible from a normally cylindrical condition to a substantially flat condition.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a collapsible hair curler which comprises a pair of spaced and parallel circular end members. Between the two circular end members are arranged a plurality of longitudinally extending rod-like elements or stringer elements which are parallel to each other. Each stringer element has one end pivotally connected to one end member and an opposite end pivotally connected to the other end member. Each pivotal connection preferably is formed by a projection on the end member constituting an eye and a hook on the end of the stringer element which is adapted to be received in the eye. Under the above described arrangement, the end elements can be pivoted with respect to the stringer elements so that the hair curler can be flattened from a normally cylindrical condition to a relatively horizontal disposition. A fastener member is also provided to lock the hair curler in its substantially horizontal position. The fastener element has a length equal to the length of the curler plus the diameter of one end member. The fastener is further provided with an attaching means at each end whereby the fastener can engage the opposite remote peripheries of the end members when the curler is in its flattened condition so as to retain the hair curler in the flattened condition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view ofa hair curler of the present invention with the fastener attached;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG..1 showing the fastener element lowered to position immediately prior to a flattening of the roller;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the roller in a partially flattened condition;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the roller in a completely flattened condition with the fastener attached at both ends;

FIG. 5 is a view of one of the end members as it would appear looking along section line 55 of FIG. i i

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the fastener element itself; and

FIG. 7 is an exploded fragmentary view of portions of one end member, one stringer element and the end of the fastener element.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED t EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 shows a pair of spaced and substantially parallel end members 10 and 12 interconnected by a plurality of stringer elements 14, only five of which are shown for the sake of simplicity. One end of each stringer element 14 is pivotally connected to the end member 10 and the other end of each stringer element is pivotally connected to the end member 12 in a manner later to be described.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 7, each end element, such as end element 12 is provided with a plurality of projections 16. The projections 16 on the element 12 are inwardly directed towards the element 10 and, conversely, the projections 16 on the element 10 are inwardly directed toward the end element 12. As best shown in FIG. 5, the projections 16 are somewhat elongated in a vertical direction and can be considered as generally disposed in vertical planes which are offset from one another. Stated differently, the bottom projections 16 on element 12 are not spaced opposite from the upper projections 16 on this element so that, when the roller is flattened to the condition shown in FIG. 4, there will be no interference between any two stringers 14.

Each projection 16 is provided with a horizontally disposed opening 18, all of the openings being parallel with each other and parallel with the general plane of the end member 12. Thus, the projections 16 constitute eyes for receiving the ends of the stringer elements as will now be described.

Each stringer element 14 (see now FIG. 7) has a hook portion 20 at each end. Each hook portion isprovided with a central opening 22 and a lateral opening 24 leading from the central opening 22 to the outsideof the hook portion20'. The opening 22 is preferably sufficiently large to accommodate "the thickness of the projections 16;however, the width of the opening 24, at its narrowest point, is preferably less than the thickness of the projections 16 so that the hook portion will stay in position once inserted in the eye. It should be apparent, from a consideration of FIG. 7, that the hook portion 14 would have to be turned degrees from the position shown so as to permit the insertion of the hook 20 into the eye opening 18.

The hair curler of the present invention is also provided with a fastener member 26 which has hook portions 28 at the opposite end thereof. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the left-hand hook portion 28 of the fastener 26 is already in engagement with the periphery of the end member 10. In the position shown in FIG. 4, how-. ever, the right-hand hook portion 28 of the fastener 26 is in engagement with the remote periphery of the end member 12 to retain the hair curler in its flattened condition.

Each end member 10 or 12 isrpreferably in the form of a ring whose cross-sectional shape 30 can be consid ered as generally circular as shown in FIG. 7. The hook portion 28 is capable of receiving the periphery '30,of the ring 12. The hook portion 28 comprises-a central opening 32 disposed between a pair of arms 34 and 36' which are separated from each other at their closest points 38. The distance betweenthe points 38 is preferably less than the diameter of the cross section 30 so that the fastener element 26 can be locked in position against either end member 10 or 12, regardless of the relative disposition, vertical or horizontal, of the end member in question.

As shown in the drawings, the length of the fastener member 26, or the distance between the hook portions 28, is equal to thedistance between the end elements l and 12 plus the diameter of one of the end elements; thus, when the fastener 26 is lowered to the horizontal position against the flattened hair curler shown in FIG. 4, the right-hand hook portion 28 will be in proper position to engage the remote periphery of the end member 12.

The fastener element 26 is provided with a plurality of teeth or barbs 40 adjacent its underside, and the stringer elements 14 are also provided with a plurality of teeth or barbs 42 to assist in the winding of hair on the curler and, in the case of the fastener element 26, to assist in holding the hair against the curler in theflattened condition.

Whereas the pivotal connections between the stringer elements 14 and the end members and 12 are described as hook and eye arrangements, obviously the hook and eye positions could be interchanged, with the hook portions being on the end members 10 and 12 and the eye portions being on the ends of the stringer elements 14. Also, other pivotal connections could be provided within the purview of this invention. Possibly, ball and socket type joints could be provided with a split socket to permit a substantially full 90 degree movement of the stringer elements with respect to the end elements.

Preferably, the entire roller can be made from semiresilient plastic material.

Since the fastener element will be disposed against a relatively flat surface in FIG. 4, preferably the width of the fastener element 26, as best shown in FIG. 6, is substantially equal to the diameter of one of the end members 10 or 12.

In operation, the roller will be utilized in the substantially cylindrical condition shown in FIG. 1 without the fastener 26 attached. The person who is rolling her hair will engage the hair in a substantially normal manner, rolling the hair on the roller until a sufficient amount of hair is rolled thereon. At this point, one of the hook ends 28 of the fastener 26 is engaged, for example, with the outer periphery of the end member 10. The fastener 26 is then lowered to the position shown in FIG. 2, after which a slight downward and leftward pressure on the roller will cause the same to flatten towards the position shown in FIG. 3. Further downward pressure on the roller will cause the same to assume the condition shown in FIG. 4, at which time the right-hand hook 28 of the fastener 26 can be snapped into position against the remote periphery of the end member 12. The flattened roller of FIG. 4 can be left on the hair for whatever length of time desired with a relatively tight curl being produced.

Whereas the present invention has been described in particular relation to the drawings attached hereto, it should be understood that other and further modifications, apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible hair curler comprising a pair of spaced generally circular and parallel end members, and a plurality of longitudinally extending stringer elements arranged in substantially parallel relation with each other between said end members, each stringer element having one end pivotally connected to one end member and an opposite end pivotally connected to the other end member.

2. A collapsible hair curler as set forth in claim 1 wherein each end member is provided with a plurality of projections directed inwardly towards the other end member, each projection having an opening therethrough for receiving an end of a stringer element.

3. A collapsible hair curler as set forth in claim 2 wherein the projections on said one end member are in alignment with the projections on said other end member.

4. A collapsible hair curler as set forth in claim 2 wherein the projections on each end memberconstitute eyes having openings parallel to each other and to the plane of the end member, the eyes on a given end member being disposed generally in vertical planes offset from each other, the ends of the stringer elements constituting hooks receivable in said eyes.

5. A collapsible hair curler as set forth in claim 4 wherein there is provided a fastener whose length is equal to the distance between said end members plus the diameter of an end member, said fastener having one end adapted to engage the periphery of one end member and an opposite end adapted to engage the re mote periphery of the other end member when said curler is collapsed to a flattened condition.

6. A collapsible hair curler as set forth in claim 5 wherein said fastener has a width substantially equal to the diameter of an end member. 

1. A collapsible hair curler comprising a pair of spaced generally circular and parallel end members, and a plurality of longitudinally extending stringer elements arranged in substantially parallel relation with each other between said end members, each stringer element having one end pivotally connected to one end member and an opposite end pivotally connected to the other end member.
 2. A collapsible hair curler as set forth in claim 1 wherein each end member is provided with a plurality of projections directed inwardly towards the other end member, each projection having an opening therethrough for receiving an end of a stringer element.
 3. A collapsible hair curler as set forth in claim 2 wherein the projections on said one end member are in alignment with the projections on said other end member.
 4. A collapsible hair curler as set forth in claim 2 wherein the projections on each end member constitute eyes having openings parallel to each other and to the plane of the end member, the eyes on a given end member being disposed generally in vertical planes offset from each other, the ends of the stringer elements constituting hooks receivable in said eyes.
 5. A collapsible hair curler as set forth in claim 4 wherein there is provided a fastener whose length is equal to the distance between said end members plus the diameter of an end member, said fastener having one end adapted to engage the periphery of one end member and an opposite end adapted to engage the remote periphery of the other end member when said curler is collapsed to a flattened condition.
 6. A collapsible hair curler as set forth in claim 5 wherein said fastener has a width substantially equal to the diameter of an end member. 